Hezbollah's alliance with Hamas was a reckless miscalculation, and Israel’s response was not only justified but necessary to preserve regional stability. In other words. Nasrallah’s death is a victory for peace in the Middle East; eliminating him was the only way to bring any hope of stability to Lebanon.
When
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah decided to throw his hat into the violent
ring by joining Hamas in their 2023 war against Israel, it was like shaking a
beehive—what did he expect? Actions have consequences, and Nasrallah's fatal
miscalculation was thinking that Hezbollah could simply join a war with Israel
and control the storm that would follow. But the unleashed "dog of
war," as the saying goes, has a mind of its own, and it seems Hezbollah
has no clue what they’ve just signed up for.
Nasrallah,
whose bloody fingerprints are all over several anti-Israel operations for more
than three decades, was Israel’s most-wanted man. His history reads like a
textbook of militancy—he oversaw Hezbollah’s rise to power, transforming the
group from a militia into a regional powerhouse with deep ties to Iran and
Syria. For years, he was the face of Hezbollah’s so-called “resistance” against
Israel, and his connection to multiple terror attacks made him more of a marked
man than anyone. So, when he made the calculated decision to support Hamas
after their shocking October 2023 attack on Israel, the response was
predictable, and it came swiftly.
On
October 8, 2023, Hezbollah began firing rockets across the Israeli border in an
act of solidarity with Hamas, likely believing they were about to open a
two-front war against Israel. But did Nasrallah really expect Israel to sit
idly by while he supported their enemies? He had been on Israel’s hit list for
decades, and by joining the war, he practically signed his own death warrant.
Israel’s airstrike on his headquarters in the Dahiyeh suburbs of Beirut was
precise and devastating. It not only took out Nasrallah but also several other
Hezbollah commanders, sending shockwaves throughout Lebanon and igniting fresh
tensions in the region.
Nasrallah's
death is more than a footnote in the history of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict;
it is a pivotal moment that could determine Hezbollah’s future. Hezbollah has
long been Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, a strategic arm of Tehran’s influence in the
Middle East. While Nasrallah’s followers mourn him and some in Lebanon refuse
to believe that he is truly gone, the truth is that his death leaves a gaping
leadership vacuum in Hezbollah’s ranks. For a group that has prided itself on
its centralized leadership, losing Nasrallah could be catastrophic.
Israel’s
Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, made it clear that targeting Nasrallah was
necessary. “He wasn’t just another terrorist,” Netanyahu said, “He was *the*
terrorist.” And Netanyahu is right. Nasrallah had played a key role in
orchestrating Hezbollah’s terror activities, including its involvement in the
2006 Lebanon War, when Hezbollah launched thousands of rockets into Israel,
killing civilians and soldiers alike. His death marks the biggest blow to
Hezbollah’s leadership in decades, and Netanyahu is likely banking on this to
shift the momentum in Israel’s favor.
However,
Hezbollah must understand that when they unleashed the “dog of war” against
Israel, that dog wasn’t just going to bite their enemies—it would also turn
back and sink its teeth into Hezbollah’s own flesh. Lebanon is now facing the
fallout of Hezbollah’s decision. The United Nations reported that more than
200,000 Lebanese have been displaced in just one week of fighting, as Israeli
airstrikes continue to rain down on southern Beirut and Hezbollah strongholds.
Thousands of families are fleeing, clutching their children and whatever
belongings they can carry, as they seek refuge in mountains and public squares.
The question Hezbollah needs to ask itself is: was Nasrallah’s decision worth
the cost?
Nasrallah’s
death will likely fuel more violence in the short term. Hamas has already vowed
to continue its fight, calling Nasrallah a martyr and promising to avenge his
death. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared five days of
public mourning for Nasrallah, hailing him as the “flag-bearer of resistance.”
But while Hezbollah’s allies rally to Nasrallah’s cause, Israel’s military
strategy is crystal clear: eliminate Hezbollah’s ability to strike. As Lt. Gen.
Herzi Halevi said, the killing of Nasrallah is “not the end of our toolbox,”
implying that more targeted strikes are on the way.
Some
might say that Hezbollah was only supporting their allies in Gaza, but this
isn’t an act of brotherhood—it’s a reckless gamble. Nasrallah was playing with
fire by engaging Israel on a military level, knowing full well the cost of such
a move. Hezbollah might have believed they were coming to Hamas’ rescue, but in
doing so, they’ve made Lebanon a target. Israeli officials have repeatedly
warned that their airstrikes would continue until Hezbollah halts its attacks,
and with every strike, Lebanese civilians are paying the price.
What
Nasrallah failed to see—or perhaps ignored—is that wars don’t stay contained.
Once you start them, they spread, devouring everything in their path.
Hezbollah’s involvement in this war will not just end with Nasrallah’s
martyrdom. Israel is well-prepared to escalate this conflict, and if Hezbollah
thinks they can control how far it goes, they are sorely mistaken. Just as the
Trojan horse concealed more than its bearers could handle, Hezbollah's decision
to unleash the "dog of war" on Israel is a beast that will not be
tamed.
Israel’s
message to Hezbollah—and by extension to Iran—is clear: there is no corner of
the Middle East that Israeli forces cannot reach. And if Iran believes it can
retaliate without consequences, it might be time for them to reconsider.
Nasrallah thought he could strike and then retreat into the shadows of Beirut’s
suburbs. But as history has repeatedly shown, when you provoke Israel, there’s
nowhere you can hide.
In
the end, Hezbollah’s decision to engage in this war may have sealed its fate.
They have unleashed forces that they cannot control, and the consequences are
spiraling out of their grasp. But if Hezbollah thought they were simply
“resisting” Israel, they forgot an essential truth: you can’t dance with the
devil and expect not to get burned. And in this case, it’s Hezbollah, not
Israel, that will be scorched.
And
so, as Lebanon continues to reel from the violence and Hezbollah vows to carry
on their "holy war," one can only wonder how long before the weight
of their decisions crushes them. After all, when you open Pandora's box, you
better be prepared for what comes next.
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